| Overview : The landscape of humanitarian action has changed since 1991, when a landmark resolution of the United Nations General Assembly established the international humanitarian response system as it is known today. Growths in the scope and diversity of humanitarian needs, and a more complex operating environment, have created new risks. There are also new opportunities: a wider range of actors and inter-operating networks are involved, and innovations improve service delivery in each response. This is why preparations are under way for the first World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in 2016. The United Nations Secretary-General has requested that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) organize the summit, to help a changing humanitarian community work together better to serve people in need. It is a unique opportunity to take stock and adapt. The summit will be the highlight in a process of change that begins now, but lasts well beyond the event itself. It will set the agenda for work beyond 2016 to make humanitarian action more inclusive, global and effective – and overall, fit for the future.
The Summit will focus on a few core themes to set the agenda. Four broad categories have emerged from recent policy discussions. These are: 1) Humanitarian effectiveness, 2) Reducing vulnerability and managing risk 3) Transformation through innovation, and 4) Serving the needs of people in conflict. For more information on the background to the Summit (Location, Timing, Themes, and Consultation Process etc.), please visit: www.worldhumanitariansummit.org. Please find also the document WHS at a Glance attached to the Terms of Reference as an integral part of them.
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